<p>A research internship under the Economist Service (ES) Research Assistant Programme at the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry (METI, formerly the Ministry of Trade and Industry), where interns work on an empirical research project with supervision from economists in METI or other government agencies. Pre-university, undergraduate, and graduate students are eligible, with priority given to penultimate-year university students.</p><ul><li>Typical duration is at least ten weeks, usually in the summer cycle (May to September); off-cycle start dates are also considered</li><li>Interns conduct rigorous analyses applying economic theory to public policy questions and present findings to the Chief Economist and senior ES officers at the end of the programme</li><li>Strong interest in Economics required; preference for candidates with intermediate microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics coursework</li><li>Familiarity with Stata, R, or Python and techniques like difference-in-differences or regression discontinuity is an advantage</li><li>Applications reviewed on a rolling basis – summer-cycle applications should reach METI before March; off-cycle applications at least 1.5 months before the proposed start date</li></ul><p>Submit the application via the online form linked on the ES programme page; a cover letter is not required. Selected candidates are invited for an interview with ES officers.</p>